The Republican Party has become deeply divided. In recent years, the conservative pro-life/pro-family base of the GOP has not only had to stand its ground against the Democratic Party, but now finds itself constantly having to fight off liberal, pro-abortion/anti-family interlopers within the Republican Party. These liberal Republicans really have more in common with the Democratic Party than they do with Republicans, yet they insist on trying to water down and infect the Republican Party Platform with their liberal social agenda. We truly are in the midst of a battle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party.

This battle is perhaps best exemplified by the high-profile and nationally followed Illinois Republican gubernatorial primary race. This hotly contested and explosive race clearly represents the ongoing rift between the conservative majority, and the liberal minority within the larger national Republican Party. The primary has boiled down to a two way race between conservative businessman Jim Oberweis, who is pro-life and pro-marriage, and the liberal pro-abortion, pro-homosexual activist Judy Baar Topinka.

Eagle Forums venerable Phyllis Schlafly has endorsed Oberweis, and is enthusiastically campaigning on his behalf. Additionally, conservative pro-life and pro-family leaders throughout Illinois and the rest of the country have endorsed Oberweis, and are actively campaigning for him, and against Topinka.

But of equal significance is the fact that a group of grassroots Illinois GOP faithful have recently joined forces in defense of the conservative principles upon which the Republican Party was built. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has very publicly introduced this group of concerned Republican citizens who call themselves StopTopinka.com (www.stoptopinka.com ). This informal group of Illinois voters is fighting to regain precious ground lost to the liberal Republican George Ryan old guard in Illinois (of which Topinka is a proud member).

The liberal Republican establishment in Illinois, currently headed by Chairman Andy McKenna, has controlled the Illinois GOP for decades, and has decimated the party to the point where its hardly recognizable as a Republican organization. The establishment has made no bones about its open support of former Party Chairman and State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka in her bid for governor.

Topinka and her establishment are inarguably responsible for the manifest absence of Republican representation in high-level government positions in Illinois; nonetheless, political self preservation trumps common sense, and precludes them from getting behind an outsider  a reformer like Jim Oberweis, who has made it clear that he intends to rout out corruption both in Illinois government, and within the Illinois Republican Party once hes elected.

The old guard is terrified of Oberweis, and rightly so. He promises to get government back on track, and return the Illinois GOP to both its conservative roots, and a position of prominence in state government. StopTopinka.com provides must-see video of Judy Baar Topinkas annual participation in the Chicago gay-pride parade. By virtue of her active participation in the parade, one can only conclude that Topinka endorses its cause and message. This parade features nudity and lewd public displays  even though young children march in the parade and attend as observers. Additionally, it provides facts relative to Topinkas pro-homosexual activism, and her diversion as state treasurer, of $10 million in state taxpayer dollars to build a gay community center in Chicago.

StopTopinka.com spokesman Peter LaBarbera said he and other concerned citizens created the website to get the truth about Judy Topinkas radical pro-gay activism out to the voters of Illinois. We know that most Republican voters in Illinois are still unaware of Topinkas liberal agenda, which includes helping hardened homosexual activists achieve their goal of using government power to force others to accept their lifestyle.

Every year, Judy celebrates homosexuality by marching in Chicagos debauched gay pride parade, but shes not talking about that now that shes running for governor as a Republican. We just feel the people have a right to know when a politician who claims to be conservative is championing immoral and unhealthy behavior, he said.

So, as the gubernatorial primary heats up and heads into the final stretch, Illinois Republican voters have a choice to make. Do they want to continue to reward the failed George Ryan old guard by maintaining the status quo and electing Judy Baar Topinka, or do they intend to head in the new direction of party repair, and government reform?

Illinois Republicans need to remember  the rest of the nation is watching. Our actions in this election will set the tone for the rest of the country and help to define the ideological path the Republican Party heads down in the future. Are we as a party going to continue to morph into Democrat-light, offering voters no distinction between Republican and Democrat  or are we going to re-establish our roots in both the Republican Party Platform, and the time-honored conservative principles set forth therein? The choice is ours on March 21st.

J. Matt Barber is a Republican strategist, and is currently a Campaign Coordinator for Jim Oberweis in his Illinois gubernatorial bid. Matt is a non-practicing attorney, an undefeated heavyweight professional boxer (Matt Bam Bam Barber), and a jazz drummer in Chicago, IL. In addition to his Law Degree, Barber holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy from Regent University. Matt is a Contributing Editor for TheConservativeVoice.com, and a contributor to the Washington Times Insight Magazine, AmericanThinker.com, and a number of other top online and print publications.

A social conservative is of no use to me if he won't reign in the size of goverment. There are many social conservatives who are fiscally indistinguishable from democrats and they are just as dangerous.

The latter is a three-time FAILED candidate who's never held public office and only embraced the "pro-life, anti-illegal immigration conservative cause" two years ago. There's a reason why Blago's people are hoping Oberweis gets the nod.

Oberweis and his supporters insist he's always been a pro-life conservative leader, it's just he wasn't as vocal about it before. A quick glance at ANY coverage from his 2002 campaign shows that's not the case:

"As for the issues, abortion and gun control divide and define these three Republicans. Cox and Durkin are against abortion, while Oberweis is generally supportive of abortion rights. On guns, Cox is a strict constructionist on the Second Amendment, and he has been appealing to gun owners throughout the state. Durkins House track record earned him a D in 2000 from the Illinois Rifle Association, while Oberweis has a blank slate to fill. Cox is the most conservative of the three, with Durkin and Oberweis competing for the moderate and most moderate label" -- By Lynn Sweet, Jan. 20, 2002 SOURCE:

What we NEED in this race is a proven, reliable conservative with a record of WINNING elections. That would be BILL BRADY. This race should be a no brainer. BILL BRADY has a PROVEN 100% pro-gun AND pro-life record his ENTIRE career. Add to that Brady being a proven winner in mutiple elections and Oberweis never holding office and being 0-3 in campaigns, and it's pretty obvious who'd be a better candidate to take out Topinkajevich.

You want to REALLY send a message to Topinkajevich, get rid of the same old candidates and send in a new guy and proven conservative winner to take 'em out.

Billy, I agree with you about Obie.. I think that Brady has a better chance to win than Obie, however, if Gidwitz wins (I'll hold my nose to vote for him), if Obie wins I'll vote for him, if Topinka wins, I'm leaving Illinois..

Listen, I happen to like Brady personally and think he's got a bright future in Illinois politics (assuming he doesn't end up being the spoiler in this race he does that, hes toast); however, the numbers just aren't there for him, and he's stone broke and quickly losing momentum (not that he ever had ANY to begin with Brady remains in the LOW single digits and is losing ground). Brady should bow out and endorse Oberweis, and then in four to eight years, Brady's the fair haired boy and heir apparent for Guv (or when he decides to run against Durbin). Phyllis Schlafly and dozens of other pro-family leaders have asked Brady to withdraw, and have as much as told him that if he is responsible for a Topinka victory; they will actively campaign against him in any future endeavor. You're right...maybe Brady isn't the Ross Perot of this election...he's the Ralph Nader (sent Bush over in 2000). I know, as a Brady supporter, it might be a bitter pill to swallow to cast a vote for Oberweis, but it is absolutely, positively, unequivocally the only way to keep Topinka out and insure that a Conservative gets in.

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